The Doctor visits Middle Earth
by Green273
Summary: The Doctor turns up in Middle Earth with a bang and discovers a plot to take over Middle-Earth led by the remaining forces of evil and a surprising alien partner. Can the Doctor save the free peoples of Middle Earth and restore peace to all corners? EDIT: Due to unforeseen circumstances this story shall not be updated for a while. It will be finished eventually!
1. Prologue

**Chapter One**

Aragorn sat on his throne, gazing into the distance. The room was cold and nearing darkness, as the sole window set in the far wall showed the sun dipping over the horizon. Aragorn was tired from performing his numerous duties of the day and as such was severely dreading the hour to come, where he invited the people of his realm to come to him with their problems, so he could attempt to solve them. He was loved by his people and admired by the Dwarves and Elves, but more importantly, according to the free peoples of Middle-Earth, feared by those few remaining Orcs, Goblins and Trolls. Those that were brave enough to venture out of the caves in the far off mountains and try to cross the Anduìn river were instantly repelled by factions of Gondorian soldiers. He sighed, took a breath and called to the guards to let the first person in. As the guards headed off down the hall a sound drifted towards him from behind the massive double doors. It was a metallic thrumming, fluctuating up and down in pitch. Aragorn frowned then leapt to his feet as the thrumming stopped with an almighty crack like thunder accompanied by a flash of blue light which lit up the cracks around the door frame. Before the guards, who had lowered their weapons and were proceeding cautiously, could reach the doors there was a buzzing sound and a click from the lock and they swung open. Silhouetted against the setting sun was a large blue box and standing in front of that in the doorway was a scrawny, bandy man wearing the oddest clothes Aragorn had ever seen. In his outstretched right hand he held a long thin metal tube, silver and orange, with a green tip. He stepped in to the hall and began striding towards the King of Gondor. The guards quickly made up the distance and lowered their spears, halting his progress. The thing that struck Aragorn most of all was that the man, even in the face of the Citadel Guards the best trained warriors in all of Gondor, his face was plastered with a grin that spoke of an innate amusement with the world and everything in it.

"Who are you?" demanded Aragorn.

"Me?" replied the man, tweaking the strip of cloth round his neck, "I'm the Doctor."


	2. The Doctor meets a friend

**Chapter Two**

Aragorn frowned at the man who called himself the Doctor, now seated in the steward's throne, legs carelessly crossed right over left. Aragorn had waved away his guards, holding one back just long enough to ask for him to send Gandalf to the hall. As he turned back to his guest, his eyes caught sight of something that shocked him. In the confusion of the Doctor entering the hall he had neglected to realise that where this man's blue box was positioned happened to be exactly where the guards station on the outside of the door usual stood. In fact as he looked closer, he could see splintered bits of wood sticking out from underneath the box, which could only mean that it had somehow fallen on top of the station. Glancing at the Doctor and keeping one hand on the hilt of his sword, just in case, he began his interrogation.

"How did that box get there? On top of the guard station I mean," he asked politely but with enough seriousness in his voice to indicate it would be pointless lying. The Doctor gazed at him for a moment then scratched his chin, almost as if deciding whether or not to tell the truth.

"Well, it's a time machine. I press buttons and twiddle knobs and it makes varying noises and it appears in a new place." The Doctor sighed. "Look, to explain it properly would mean redefining the world as you know it, and quite frankly I can't be bothered to do so." Aragorn stared into the Doctor's eyes and realised he was telling the truth.

"Very well", he said. "I believe you." He finished with a nod. Just then, a knock on the side door echoed from across the room.

"Come," said Aragorn, raising his voice slightly. The door opened and in walked Gandalf, his white robes emitting a constant yet subtle glow and his light smile warmed Aragorn as always. His eyes flickered across the room and alighted on the Doctor and his smile became a grin. He paused several steps from the Doctor and Aragorn. At first the laugh that was slowly making its way up his throat was inaudible to the two others in the room but before long it was echoing off the vaulted ceiling and tears of joy were creeping from the corners of his eyes. The Doctor had joined in somewhere along the way and then they crossed the rooms and gripped each other on the shoulders before embracing.

"Gandalf the White!" exclaimed the Doctor. His grin was enormous and a mischievous fire danced in his eyes.

"My dear Doctor," came the reply. "I bow to you." Gandalf inclined his head in a mini bow.

"Ah, cut it out you mad old fool," said the Doctor coyly, though the look on his face showed betrayed his delight. Aragorn stood for a moment before clearing his throat to get their attention.

"You know this man Gandalf, this Doctor?" he asked. He was astonished, as Gandalf had never even mentioned him in passing.

"Of course I know him. He helped me out of a rather sticky situation several years ago now. He saved me from the clutches of the last dark lord, Morgoth, or what was left of him. Unfortunately the Doctor died and regenerated in that one," he answered. "What incarnation are you now Doctor?" he asked, turning to the Time Lord.

"This is my eleventh body my good man. You happened to witness my eighth regeneration so I've regenerated twice since I last saw you." He smiled at the beaming Gandalf and the bemused Aragorn. He sighed.

"Right, I suppose I better start explaining. Take a seat. It's gonna take a long time." With that, he spun on the spot and flopped down in the steward's throne.


	3. Evil Returns

**Chapter Three**

_Six months earlier…_

Deep in the dark, dank recesses of Moria, a solitary light flared. Its light sent spiral of glinting colour up the massive wall of the mine, its half hidden mithril treasure glowing. Distorted shadows were flung up against the walls as the light moved away, heading north along the wall. The torch that bore the flame bobbed along giving the distinct impression that its bearer had one leg longer than the other. The torch bearing figure was hunched over and headed to a door set in the far wall. He waved his hand and muttered a string of words in the Black Speech of Mordor and the door crumbled into dust. The figure passed through the door, from which exploded light. He entered a cavernous room with a high vaulted ceiling, a trademark of dwarven architecture, and despite its glow shivered with cold. The door sprang back after he had passed through and his breath was visible in the air before him. Carved in the far wall, in the very rock of the mountain was a high ring of seats, seven in all, one each for the Dwarf Lords. They had sat empty since Moria had fallen until by chance the Goblins had stumbled across them. The King, Agrak, had claimed them for him and his twisted family, and from there he ruled over his now pitiful army. He had once commanded tens of thousands of Goblins, but since the fall of Sauron this numbered had dwindled. Even with the addition of the Orcs that had survived the Battle of the Black Gate his army now consisted of a mere four thousand or so. However, Agrak was arrogant. He thought that his army was the best in Middle Earth and boasted of its competency. It was, in fact, for that very reason that the hunched figure was now making its way across the hall. The figure reached the foot of Agrak's throne, reached up across his shoulder and pulled off the filthy robe that covered his back. In one fluid motion the cloak fell away and he stood up straight, revealing that he was actually more than six feet tall. In his right hand he held a long royal blue staff, its tip engulfed by flame but unharmed. He wore robes of varying blues with the bottom ripped torn and stained with mud. His eyes were a rich blue tinged with a look that Agrak recognised instantly. Pure evil.

The meeting between Pallando the Blue and Agrak lasted no more than ten minutes. After Pallando had departed, the Goblins did something extraordinary. They lit every torch and brazier in Moria, took up the abandoned dwarven tools and for the first time ever, began to mine.


	4. Urgent Arrival

**Chapter Four**

_Present Day…_

Six hundred yards from the rear entrance to Moria crouched a dwarf scout. He had paused there after escaping from his imprisonment inside the mine. He had been held there five months giving advice to the King of the Goblins, against his will, about the best way to form mithril into weapons and armour. He had escaped only when his guard had let his concentration slip while Korglaf, for that was his name, was unshackled. He had seen some disturbing things, not least of all several appearances by one of the Blue wizards of the east. Having recovered his breath he turned his back on Moria for the very last time. He would never see his ancestral home again.

The Doctor had made a mistake. After he had told Aragorn enough of his story that Aragorn would understand, he decided to show him inside the Tardis. Even Gandalf looked taken aback at the sight of its dark control room. Aragorn had sprinted from it and done the typical 'it's bigger on the inside' speech before shaking his head.

"No. No, I'm not having any of that. Beings from other worlds in the sky I can just about handle, but that is far too much!" he said, nervously. The Doctor nodded and headed back into the time machine, pausing in the doorway.

"Right then," he said. "I'll move my box to the room you've so generously provided, and then I'll be back." He winked as he mentioned the room, for one hadn't actually been provided. Aragorn sighed and order the only remaining guard to tell the Doctor where his room was. The Doctor accepted the information with thanks and then disappeared inside his box. Instantly the metallic wheezing, grinding noise that Aragorn had heard earlier began up again and, before his very eyes, the box slowly faded out of view. He stood for a moment in a daze, barely able to sort out his head when a messenger ran through the open doors.

"My lord, a dwarf has turned up on our doorstep, claiming parley with you," he panted. This snapped Aragorn out of his daze. He turned his attention to the messenger and after a nod of encouragement from Gandalf ordered the messenger to send up the dwarf. It was time to get back to normal business for a while.


	5. A Friend and an Enemy

**Chapter Five**

The Doctor flew round the control room of the Tardis, floored the helmic regulator and fired up the flux capacitor. Then, with a bang, he slammed on the handbrake and sprinted out of the doors. He emerged from the Tardis into a room of about a hundred square foot. Standing in the corner was a woman, tending the flower box on the outside of the window. The Doctor stopped at the sight of her preparing to clear his throat to announce his arrival, confused as to why she hadn't noticed the Tardis noise when he stopped short. He recognised the woman, which was impossible. Any human woman he had met the last time he'd been here would be long dead, and this woman was no elf nor was she a dwarf. That was of course the moment she turned round.

"Hello sweetie."

Aragorn paced to and fro in the throne room, the dwarf scout that had scampered in earlier seated in front of him. His brow was formed into a permanent scowl at the news he had just heard.

"So, you're telling me that we face a new threat, lead by one of the Blue Wizards?" he asked.

"Yes, my lord, that is correct. The Goblin king has ordered eight thousand sets of armour and eight thousand various weapons, all made of mithril. The only problem is, my lord, the armour will not dent, nor break however badly it is formed. You are facing an unbeatable army," replied Korglaf. Aragorn once again frowned before sending one of his guards to fetch Gandalf and the Doctor. As the guard scampered from the room, Korglaf pulled a scroll from inside his tunic and offered it to Aragorn.

"What is this?" he asked.

"A written order, my lord, delivered by the Blue Wizard, to King Agrak of the Goblins" came the reply. Aragorn unrolled the scroll and his frown increased. He was getting more and more confused by this story.

"River?" said the Doctor, incredulously. He stared as his friend with such shock on his face that she laughed.

"Of course, my dear. I have to keep track of you sometimes, make sure you don't make any huge mistakes," she said. At that moment the door banged open to reveal a scarlet faced, out of breath guard.

"King Elessar requests your presence, my lord Doctor," he said, panting. The Doctor nodded once and beckoned at River to follow him. The guard lead them though the streets of Minas Tirith, with learned ease, until they met Gandalf at the huge double doors to the throne room. The sun was setting in the west, and casting its warm glow across the courtyard. The Doctor shuddered as the wind changed direction suddenly, bringing with it a feeling of unease, and a distinct smell in the air that the Doctor couldn't place. He turned back to Gandalf and after introducing him to River, pushed open the doors and marched inside. Aragorn turned to see him striding along as though he owned the place and yet found that he didn't really mind, as though the Doctor would make a better King. He shook him self to rid his mind of such thoughts and turned back to the scroll he had unfurled on the table. The Doctor joined him and Korglaf, introduced River to them then turned and engaged Gandalf in conversation without a second glance or question as to why he was there. River shook her head and spoke to the King in his place.

"He is so full of his own importance at the moment! It is infuriating! Anyway, enough about him, what have we got here?" she exclaimed. She turned here head in order to read the scroll then let out a gasp of recognition.

"Doctor!" she shouted. He spun away from Gandalf, hearing the urgency in her voice. He strode over to the table, and read the scroll. When he had finished he recoiled in horror, stumbling back from the table. Gandalf gave a cry of recognition also, for he had been reading over the Doctor's shoulder. What had elicited such reactions was not the content of the letter, but who had signed it. Gandalf recognised the name Pallando, which was written in brackets underneath the other name on the page, while the Doctor and River recognised the other name he had used. The scroll was signed by the Master.


	6. Danger provokes a Plan

**Chapter Six**

Agrak strode through the ranks of goblins, each of which was clad in shoddy mithril armour. They clutched makeshift swords, axes, bows and arrows, also made from mithril.

"We march on Minas Tirith!" he shouted. Cheer and jeers rose out of the ranks and then suddenly the air was rent apart as the entire eight thousand strong army roared with delight. Agrak grinned cruelly and raised his own sword above his head and screamed a single word.

"MARCH!"

The Doctor's face was ashen and his hands wouldn't stop shaking.

"He can't be alive. He just can't be," he muttered, more to himself than anyone. River crossed over to him and gently took his hands in her own. He looked up at her, sliding out of his daze.

"Last time I fought him, he was sucked back through time, with Galifrey and the President and the rest of the twisted Time Lords. This isn't possible." His eyes pleaded with her, willing her to agree with him. Unfortunately that wasn't what she said.

"Yes sweetie, but it is him that much is clear. So you need to tell us all as much as you can about him, so we can help you beat him once more." She was calm but insistent, so much so that the Doctor nodded compliantly.

"Yes, yes you're right. Okay, the Master. Um, well, he's a Time Lord like me but he's mad, twisted and evil. The last time I saw him, I regenerated because of his actions. But he was dying. His body was collapsing in on itself." He stopped short abruptly and suddenly, his eyes filled with madness. He righted himself before sprinting over to the wall where two swords crossed decorated a portion of it. He reached up and slid one down, turned and stared at it.

"No, Doctor. That's not your style my old friend," said Gandalf, calmly. The Doctor looked up for a moment before sighing. His shoulders dropped and the sword clanged to the floor. River had never seen the Doctor like this before. It was worse than when Amy and Rory had been taken from him. Just then, once more, the doors at the end of the hall burst open and Faramir ran in. He stumbled to a halt and spoke directly to Aragorn.

"You were right, my lord. They're here. Eight thousand strong plus a Blue Wizard," he said. He was panting slightly and had aimed the last part of his message at Gandalf.

"No," said the Doctor, shocking them all. He had straightened himself up and despite a slightly pale tinge to his skin, he seemed back to normal. He absent-mindedly swept his hair back from his forehead and stepped forward.

"That is no longer Pallando. Think about it Gandalf. Yes, Saruman was corrupted, but there is nothing out to the east that could've corrupted them. That man out there is the Master, in Pallando's body. He must not be underestimated. Now, get out there and hold off that army! I'll deal with him." He turned to leave.

"Doctor, we cannot even hurt them, their armour is too good," shouted Aragorn, anxiously.

The Doctor spun round on the spot and gave a mischievous smile.

"I'll deal with that also. Now, go, all of you! River, with me!" And he ran from the room.


	7. Almost Sorted

**Chapter Seven**

The Doctor and river raced through the streets until they came to his room. All around them the city bustled, preparing for war. From the other side of the city they could hear the twanging of bows and catapults. The pair raced into the Tardis and the Doctor set to work.

"We need to get this old girl outside, or it won't work," he said.

"You have a plan then?" asked River, furiously typing in commands. He grinned again.

"Oh, I hate that look!" she added. The doctor laughed then outlined his plan. River smiled, looking impressed. Soon the Tardis was in flight, but it didn't last long. Before they could tweak the plan they had landed. River sprinted outside to check where they were, and the Doctor got to work.

High above Pellenor Fields, lining the walls of the White City, stood the soldiers of Gondor. Aragorn strode up and down, ordering volley after volley of arrows, but to no effect. They simply bounced off the armour of the Goblins. He was slowly losing men too, as archers from the Goblin ranks returned fire with their special mithril arrows. After ten minutes, and losing seventy men to their none, he withdrew his forces and retreated into a small tower nearby. As he went to bar the door he heard the now familiar noise of the Tardis engines. He watched as it faded into view and the door was yanked open by River.

Back in the Tardis, the Doctor finished his writing his computer programme.

"Right, River, stand back. This computer programme can be merged for a few seconds with the Tardis matrix before it burns up. But in that time, if I extrapolate its mutated form, double it up and fire it from the light bulb on the top, it will disrupt the atmosphere and cause acid rain, and not just any old acid. No, no, no. It'll be a time tinted acid, and there is almost nothing that can withstand it." As he finished, he pulled a lever and from the top of the Tardis flew a ball of light, which exploded outwards. For a few minutes there was silence as the enemy wondered what that was and then came the tinkling of water hitting metal. Over the top of that however came an almighty roar.

"NO! DOCTOR!" There followed a flash of blue light and the Master vanished, leaving his army and their King stranded under a bulging cloud of acid rain, that was large enough to cover them but leave everywhere else dry. The first scream came as acid hit flesh and soon mithril armour was dropping off and Goblins were routing. Soon they had all fled, leaving a patch of the field that was wet and bare of everything including grass. The Doctor, watching from the door of his Tardis smiled happily. Out of nowhere there was a flash of blue, a blue staff slammed him in the stomach and he hit the floor heavily.


	8. An explanation and a stark warning

**Chapter Eight**

The Doctor groaned and rolled to his feet. The Master, in his new body stood over him arms raised meekly in surrender. Behind the Doctor stood River, her Alpha Meson blaster aimed at the Master's chest. The Doctor shook himself and his back clicked, causing instant relief. He stared into the Master's eyes and was overcome with a realisation. He turned to Gandalf who, along with Aragorn and several soldiers, had crossed the gap between them and formed a ring around their prisoner.

"Gandalf, my friend, does this man look like the Pallando you know?" he asked.

"My memory of him is shady to say the least, Doctor, but yes, I think this man is an Istari," replied Gandalf. The Doctor stared at the man before him, and then gestured at the guards. Two stepped forward at his bidding and seized the Master, pulling his staff from his grip. They then proceeded to lead him away, heading for the dungeons. The Doctor sighed before addressing Aragorn.

"Is there a room I can talk to him in? I need to know how this is possible?" he asked.

"Of course," replied the King. "I'll send him to you."

Two hours later and the Doctor perched on the edge of the table in his room, staring at the Master, who was chained to the bed. In the corner of the room stood River Song, blaster at the ready. The Master wore a devious grin, his eyes dancing with sparks of evil. However, the closer the Doctor looked the more he could see another part to the man before him, one that reminded him of Gandalf.

"Tell me how you got here and how you took this man's body. The last time I saw you, you were trapped on Galifrey, inside the time lock," said the Doctor, questioningly. The Master's grin widened and he blinked several times in the minute of silence that followed the Doctor's word, giving him the look of a startled lizard.

"Very well Doctor. I shall tell you. I was trapped, as you say, in the time lock. The body I was in had not been healed properly by the gate, so it was still dying. So I regressed back, into childhood, like my old friends, the Toclafane. As you know, Time Lord children grow using regeneration energy, meaning in theory I couldn't die. My body, however, thought different. It went to war with itself, and there could only be one winner. I would either live or die."

"I don't know how long it took before I became aware again, but when I did, I had achieved the dream of the President. I had ascended to a being of consciousness alone. At least, that's what I thought. However, I now existed as pure regeneration energy, which meant I could escape the time lock. I flew into the untempered schism unprotected. That was my first mistake. We are children of the time vortex, Doctor. It was too powerful for me. I was absorbed by it. I existed at every point in time and space simultaneously, even in alternate universes."

"It was hell. It took all my concentration not to be ripped apart. Soon, however I discovered weak points in the time vortex, places I could break through. After this revelation, I immediately pulled myself together as best I could and forced my way through one of the very weak points. I emerged into Middle-Earth and immediately possessed an Easterling. It was too much for him. He burned up within seconds. But as luck would have it, a stronger body was passing. Pallando the Blue, keeper of one of the five rods of power, strode by carelessly. I possessed him instantly. He still fights you know. That is what keeps the body alive. However, once I overpower him, I can use my excess regeneration energy and become a fully fledged Time Lord once more!" His voice rose to a shout at the end of his speech, spittle flying from his mouth. The Doctor took one look at him, disgust mingled with understanding on his face.

"You will never have his body. I will force you out and destroy you forever," he said, in a deadly whisper. He nodded and River seized the Master by the arm before leading him from the room. The Doctor sighed. For now, the immediate threat was defeated. But until the Master was removed and Pallando restored, Middle-Earth wouldn't be truly safe.


	9. A plan decided

**Chapter Nine**

The Doctor stood in the throne room, along with Aragorn, River, Gandalf and Faramir. He had his hands clasped behind his back and was watching with increasing frustration the argument before him. The others in the room were debating, passionately, how to deal with the Master. He shook his head before giving a shrill, ear piercing whistle. The others stopped their argument abruptly, and turned to the Doctor. He gave them a small grin but they all noticed that it was unusually forced.

"Sorry about that, but you are all wrong. The only course of action for us to take is to send him back into the Time War. If we can find an Orc or Goblin that is on the verge of dying, we can force the Master out of Pallando, into the Orc then send him, using the Tardis, into the Time Vortex but with directions. After that, he's the Time Lords problem," he deadpanned. Gandalf turned to his old friend.

"How do we force him out of Pallando?" he asked.

"With the only things in this world that are powerful enough. The five rods of power," he answered.

"There's a slight problem there Doctor. The traitor Saruman's staff was destroyed by Gandalf. Therefore, we are one short," said Aragorn, tentatively, as if he didn't want to risk the Doctor's consternation. The Doctor smiled, playfully this time.

"You are forgetting, my liege, I have a time machine." With that, he spun on his heels and sprinted into the blue box parked meters away. Instantly the now familiar metallic wheezing sound started up again and the Tardis disappeared from view. For ten seconds they all stared at the space it had vacated before the noise started up again and it faded in to view once more. The door was yanked open and the Doctor strode from within, clutching in his right hand the staff of Saruman the White.

"Three down," he said. "Saruman's, Gandalf's and Pallando's, with Radagast's and the other Blu Wizard's to go. Do you have any idea who he is or even where he would be Gandalf?" he asked.

"Aha, an inquisitive hobbit once asked me that, many moons ago. In that instance I could not, but at remembering Pallando's the other comes to me with ease. Alator is who you look for. As for where he is, east somewhere is all I know," replied the Wizard. The Doctor's brow creased as he thought, long and hard about that particular problem. Aragorn collapsed wearily on to his throne, River sank on to the Stewards seat and Gandalf lent on his staff, which shifted slightly, giving off a sound. The Doctor's eye flickered up at the sound and settled on the staff. His eyes suddenly lit up with enlightenment and he pushed off from the Tardis and strode over to Gandalf. Slowly he pulled his Sonic Screwdriver from his inside pocket and, ignoring the weird looks he was getting from Aragorn, scanned the staff, before flicking the device open. He read the Gallifreayan readings and squealed excitedly.

"I can track the energy signature of all the rods. They emit slightly different pulses and as soon as Radagast get here, we'll have a reading off his staff and can head off on the only unknown emission left. Come on!" he shouted and strode from the room, heading to the stables.


	10. A Development

**Chapter Ten**

The gates of Minas Tirith swung open and out charged The Doctor, Gandalf and River, all astride horses. They thundered across the Pellenor Fields, heading for Osgiliath. From there the plan was to board a boat and sail to Cair Andros, the island situated in the Anduìn River about forty miles north of Osgiliath. There, with any luck, would be Radagast, as tracked by the sonic. They never made it. From behind them came an almighty bang, almost as loud as an eruption from Mount Doom. They spun their horse round to see an explosion of what could only be regeneration energy, sprouting from the top of the White City. River swore under her breath, dug her heels into her horses flank and shot back towards the city.

"Go back Doctor. I shall ride on and meet Radagast; he'll be less suspicious that way. Go!" ordered the White Wizard. With a nod, the Doctor obeyed.


	11. Stolen Ship

Chapter Eleven

When the Doctor reached the cell in which the Master had been held, he found nothing inside. Outside in the corridor however laid the solitary guard, unconscious. The Doctor snapped his fingers next to the Guards ear and he jerked awake. For a moment he stared into space his eyes clouded and black, then with a gasp, they cleared and rolled onto the Doctor.

"Look at me," said the Doctor. "What happened?"

"I don't… I mean… One moment I was standing outside the cell, I heard a grunt from within so, thinking the prisoner was injured in some way, I opened the door. After that all I remember is him whispering something. It sounded like no language in Middle Earth yet I understood it completely. He said, "Kill me." Then I blacked out," explained the Guard. The Doctor frowned, deep in thought. From around the corner came Aragorn, led by River.

"What has happened?" enquired Aragorn. The Doctor snapped out of his reverie and was about to answer when he heard a sound. A sound that, in the current situation, made his stomach drop and his hearts turn to ice. From three floors below came the sound of the TARDIS engines.

The newly regenerated Master, raced round the TARDIS console, setting the controls for his own universe. The time machine however, had other ideas. It groaned and crashed, sparks flying from the console as it fought the Master for control.

"No, no, no you don't," hissed the Master through gritted teeth, in a crisp English accent. He now stood just over six feet tall, with slick black hair and strong features.

"Oooh that's just cheeky," he spat, reprimanding the TARDIS, who had just activated security protocol three.

The Doctor almost made it. He and River raced round a corner to see the Tardis fade from view. The Doctor's face fell, and his shoulders slumped. Well, they did for about a second. Moments after it had dematerialised, the TARDIS began fading into view, a foot in front of the Doctor.

"Ha ha! Security protocol three! In an emergency, the TARDIS will lock onto the primary pilot and materialise at his position! Atta girl!" he laughed, utterly delighted. It was short live however. With a bang, he was flung back from his ship landing heavily on his back. The doors opened and the Master stuck his head round the door.

"EMP blast Doctor. I think you'll find one heart quite a struggle for now," he sneered. River fired a blast at him from her Sonic Blaster and he ducked back within, the red blast exploding on the Police Box door. With a final groan, the box, beaten, faded from view, leaving the Doctor on the floor, his Sonic fired up and pointing at his beloved ship.


	12. Mystery and Madness

Chapter Twelve

The Doctor sat up in a bed situated by a wide, open window in the infirmary of Gondor's capital city. Huddled round his bed were Aragorn, River and a recently returned Gandalf.

"So, as he was leaving I used the Sonic to fry the Universe Loop Diffuser. Basically it means he can't leave this universe, until it's fixed, and for that he'd need my Screwdriver," he was explaining. River and Aragorn accepted this with nods but Gandalf looked as though he hadn't heard a word. His face was vacant, as he stared out of the window. The Doctor looked at his old friend with concern, wondering what could possibly be worrying him so much. There was a fragility in the old wizard's demeanour, something he had never seen in him before. He had returned from Cair Andros and his meeting with Radagast and had barely said a word, only speaking to confirm that Radagast would remain on Cair Andros for the time being, in order to be close when the time came for his help to be needed. With a sigh, the Doctor decided to broach the subject.

"Mithrandir?" he questioned, using the name the elves bestowed upon Gandalf, knowing it would get his attention. As he had hoped Gandalf looked up.

"Yes?" he replied.

"You haven't heard a word I've said, my old friend."

"Ah…You noticed…" sighed Gandalf. "I am worried, you see, both for the future of Middle Earth, and for you my friend. Radagast was in possession of a prophecy, one he had kept to himself for many years. In fact, he claims it came into his being shortly after we arrived in this land, and was intended for Saruman. On a hunch he intercepted it, and until now it has never made any sense and while it still retains some mystery it is very clear this is the situation it was meant for." He paused waiting for a response. When it was clear that he wasn't going to get one, he took a deep breath and launce into the prophecy.

"_The man with no body_

_Free at last_

_Yearns for the blue box_

_Inside so vast_

_Darkness strengthens_

_A great deed is undone_

_This world's only hope_

_Is a girl from London."_

There was silence when he had finished. The Doctor was deep in thought, River was now pacing up and down and Aragorn just looked baffled.

"What's London?" he enquired.

"London's a where, and it's a city in our universe," replied River, indicating herself and the Doctor. Aragorn nodded, and lapsed into silence. The Doctor was thinking over the prophecy. It was obvious to them all that the first bit was about the Master and the TARDIS. The second bit however was slightly more worrying. _A great deed is undone. _There was only three or four great deed of Middle Earth that he could think of, and it was the most recent one that leapt to mind in this instance. He turned to Gandalf , to ask a question but was stunned into silence. There, hovering in the center of the room, glowing brightly, was The One Ring.

The Master stood in the TARDIS grinning wildly. Teeth bared, sweat glistening on his forehead he was working intently on a piece of technology with a welder. It was a short range non-organic teleporter. If it worked, and it would, its only purpose was to beam a small but very powerful object into this very console room. He began laughing as his work progressed, rising until he was manically guffawing at nothing in particular. Unbeknownst to him, the regeneration process had gone wrong. The Master had always been mad, but this time he was clinically insane. He had never been more dangerous.


	13. The Master's Genocide

Chapter Thirteen

There was a flash of light just then, as they were staring at the Ring. It was like Gandalf had just lit the tip of his staff, blinding them. The Doctor, fell from his bed to the floor, gasping as the cold stone brushed his flesh. He heaved himself to his feet, grabbed his jacket from the chair and fumbled for his Screwdriver. Upon finding it, he directed it at the light source and hit the button. The green light flared up and its familiar buzzing sound filled the air. After a moment, he flicked it open, increasing its power until the light flared brighter and disappeared. After their eyes had adjusted to the lack of light, they saw that the Ring had vanished.

"Short range temporal teleport," said the Doctor. "There were traces of Artron Energy in there. The Master must have used the TARDIS." His voice was, for the first time since he'd regenerated into his eleventh form, wavering, betraying his fear. River glanced at his face, worry etched on her own. Gandalf and Aragorn were deep in conversation across the room, deliberately avoiding catching the Doctor's eye. In response he straightened up, smoothed out his bowtie and walked to the door. It was time to get changed.

The Master stood atop Orthanc in Isengard, the TARDIS billowing smoke behind him. His attention however was not on the time machine but on the grounds below him. Fire blazed not far from the base of the tower; on closer inspection it could be seen that the fuel as it were, was still moving. The Ents of Fangorn Forest had paid a high price when they attempted to stop The Master. The silent screams of the forest's tree-herders could be felt in the acrid air, as they slowly, painfully died. He had arrived with the break off, allowing for total silence. Upon his arrival he had stepped from the box and spoken to the Ents, who had not realised he was there. He asked for their cooperation and, when Treebeard had denied him, spared them no mercy. He had simply slipped on a ring, and a ghastly transformation had taken place. His skin withered becoming like parchment wrapped round his seemingly brittle bones. His eyes had become at the same time almost too big for his face and too small, irises black with red flames flashing across their surface. His hair crawled its way down his forehead like a snake, covering his brow. The Ring glowed brightly and in his right hand he gripped a giant mace, so big it looked comical for such an emaciated figure to be holding it. He spoke in a garbled tongue that only Treebeard could recognise, old as it was.

"Lat narnûluba znûg-za." His voice was the worst part. It reverberated through the air, slicing into the Ents bark, causing physical wounds. Not only that but it caused vision in their minds, vision that turned their sap cold and drove more than a few mad. "I AM SAURON!"


	14. A Call to War

Chapter Fourteen

"I scanned it, and got some pretty interesting energy readings. Like nothing I've ever seen before. The Ring was, no IS, alive," explained a weary Doctor. He sat on the Stewards throne, Aragorn to his right, Gandalf to his left and River lounging across from him against a gleaming white column.

"So, are we talking living metal? Like an upgraded Nestene duplicate?" questioned River.

"Nah, they've been out of business since they created an Andy Murray double, to win Wimbledon. Bloody Tories… Sorry I'm rambling. No this is different, the Ring has none of the properties it had before, no invisibility, no awesome power; it's more like a containment unit. It's housing someone, something, allowing it to survive. Whoever puts the ring one is completely vulnerable to possession, and I mean full on possession," he answered, crossing his legs out of habit. Gandalf sighed and hoisted himself up from his seat.

"This is dark magic, Doctor. There is only one being in Middle Earth capable. Sauron has returned once again. I fear this time, he may be too powerful to beat," he said.

"Unfortunately my old friend, I have to agree with you. He has returned and if The Master does indeed have the Ring as we expect then he'll be even more powerful. Our only hope is to separate the ring from the Master and destroy it."

"_My name is the Master."_

"_Good day, Master. I am Sauron, dark lord of all."_

"_I know all about you. I want to work with you, to take this puny world and all others across the multi-verse."_

"_You have a plan, human? I do not take kindly to orders."_

"_I am not human. I am a lord like you. You are a lord of darkness; I am a lord of time."_

"_Time, you say? Well then maybe we can come to an agreement. Be warned however. Do not cross me Time Lord or I shall burn this pitiful form of yours until it is ash. I am at an impasse. My only protection is YOU. Be careful with my precious…"_

The conversation stretched on for several ages of Middle Earth and yet was over in less than a second. The Master slipped the Ring off his finger and his appearance returned to normal, and Sauron's presence faded from his mind. The ethereal feel of Sauron's spirit lingered, a constant pull in the deep recesses of the Master's brain yearning for the Ring to be put on. The Master disregarded the notion and turned back to the TARDIS. He had work to do.

The Doctor, River and Gandalf wound their way slowly through the streets of Minas Tirith towards the royal stables. If not for their knowledge of recent events, it could've been any other day, people milling about, birds flitting from perch to perch. As it was, a dark haze seemed to have descended from the heavens, clouding their minds. They reached the stables and found Shadowfax whom Gandalf mounted. The Doctor wrung his hand thoroughly while a stable hand bought over a tan brown mare and River swung herself into the saddle.

"Goodbye sweetie," she said her face full of emotion. The Doctor sighed at her flirtatious tone. "Remember the mission. Find Alatar, bring back his staff and that's it, you get it? No one night stands, dwarf or no dwarf." His tone was serious but his eyes playful.

"Consider it done, Doctor," said Gandalf.

The TARDIS spat and groaned in protest. The Master was working with Orc tools, smashing slicing and burning his way through the console. He danced with glee every time the machine shuddered with pain. Several times she had tried to throw him out of her doors and he had punished her for that. Now, apart from the involuntary shudders she lay dormant. Outside the tower of Orthanc lay the smouldering remains of the Ents and beyond Orcs hard at work, restoring the place to its former glory. Up and to the north, where the dam had been replaced, was a ledge, the led into Fangorn forest. Standing upon that ledge was Treebeard. He was the last of his kind and he was angry beyond words. He leaned back an issued a piercing cry that sliced the air apart. It was a war cry, one intended to be heard across Middle Earth.


	15. The Master's Plan revealed

Chapter Fifteen

The TARDIS was a time-machine no more. It now stood, doors wide open, sickly green light flaring from within. The Master was hunched at a table, a console of sorts on the table in front of him. He was twiddling a screwdriver (not sonic) and securing the frame of it in place. When he was done, he flicked a switch and it crackled into life. The cloister bell boomed once in the TARDIS, though he showed no reaction, accepting it as normal. The crackling intensified, green electricity sliding along the wires that connected the console with the TARDIS itself. A shuffling by the door set in the wall behind him drew his attention. He turned in his chair and raised his eyebrows impatiently. Two Orcs, dressed in hunting gear nervously entered.

"Is it done, my lord?" asked the one who had a chunk of nose missing. The Master nodded.

"Aye, it's done. The TARDIS is now a matter converter," he replied getting to his feet and crossing the room. He reached a large object obscured by the dirty cloth covering it and yanked it away. Revealed beneath was an object somewhat reminiscent of a washing machine, not that any inhabitant of Middle Earth would recognise it. It was cobbled together with dented iron, scavenged from the grounds of Isengard, mixed together with more technological materials stripped from an unwilling TARDIS, creating a rather disturbing hybrid. It too was connected to the TARDIS from one end, the other leading to the console the Master had erected.

"How does it work again, Master?" queried the other Orc, his back misshapen and hunched. The Master sighed, though there was an air of patience in it.

"You guys really are thick aren't you? I'd rather work with Telekhines… Right, you put something in this drum here," he said indicating the washing machine. "Then I flick a few switches, the TARDIS powers up and changes it into something else. It's a matter converter. Oh you wouldn't understand. Now then, in order to get the thing I need, I have to use organic matter. We have some of that in a great big pile downstairs…" His gaze became more insistent and luckily the first Orc was slightly smarter than his accomplice and took the hint.

"Right away my lord," he said, and they left with work to do.

Darkness had fallen by the time they were ready, a long line of Orcs, Uruks and Goblins, stretching from the room that housed the TARDIS all the way down the tower of Orthanc right out and into the grounds. Each member of the line clutched a bucket of ashes that had once been the Ents of Fangorn Forest. At the head of the line was the Orc that had enquired about the Masters progress. He clutched a gnarled bucket full to the brim with ashes. At a nod from the Master he chucked its contents into the washing machine like contraption and the Master started it up. He twirled knobs, flicked switches and pulled levers, keeping the machine steady. The line proceeded forward at a steady rate, each member throwing their load of ashes into the machine. The connection to the TARDIS sparked as the time machine gave one last weak noise of distress and then it was running smoothly. A whirring noise started up and then with a bang, green light exploded from the TARDIS. The Master paused from his work to watch his plan unfold. From out of the smoky green light strode Uruk-hai after Uruk-hai, fully armoured and armed to the teeth. They poured from the matter converter and streamed downstairs, past the line of waiting Orcs. As the ash bearing line got shorter the line of fresh Uruk-hai grew larger. Even after half an hour, when the ashes had all been thrown in, they continued to pour out, slowly but surely filling the grounds of Isengard. The spread out, far and wide, filling every possible space. Soon the grounds were overflowing and the gates had to be opened to make more room. Some were sent to the roof, others up to the ledge by the dam until eventually, with a meagre sputter the TARDIS produced its last Uruk-hai. He was different from the rest, taller and broader of shoulder, with hair stretching thick as rope, to the heels of his feet. The Master beamed at him, a smile that spoke of insanity and total evil. It was a while before he realised he was laughing, full on before he abruptly stopped and smashed his fist into the face of the last Uruk. The creature, utterly bewildered, staggered back.

"WHOM DO YOU SERVE?" roared the Master, spittle flying from betwixt his lips and hitting the Uruk in the face. The Uruk regarded him cautiously before speaking in a growling voice.

"The dark lord Sauron. His presence can be felt by all creatures of evil and he is in this very room. He has spoken to each of us as we were spawned and he named you his protector," he said, spitting the last word viciously as if to indicate his hatred of the fact his master would need protecting. "Therefore, Time Lord, we serve you. All one million of us."


	16. The Doctor's fear

Chapter Sixteen

The first the people of Minas Tirith knew of their impending doom, it was too late. The army of one million Uruks had somehow crept up on Osgiliath, tearing it down into a smoking ruin in a matter of hours. After that they had marched upon the white city with aggressive confidence and quite frankly no one could blame them. They were, with Nargz, their leader, at the front, inspired in their ferocity. The meagre ensemble that the King could muster at such short notice would be no match for them. Their only hope was to keep the army at bay long enough to allow for the arrival of King Eomer and the Rohirrim, summoned by lighting of the beacons. The swiftest riders in the land had been dispatched to the far corners of Middle Earth too seek out all and any help that could be found, be it from Dwarves, Elves or Men.

The Doctor stood in his room, his back to the door. At the moment the door opened and Aragorn entered. He saw the Doctor, this strange man whom he trusted implicitly without any inkling as to why, framed by the setting sun that was filtering through the window in the far wall, and was struck by how lonely this man was. A sadness he had never experienced before crept over him and he turned to leave, but the Doctor heard his breathing and turned to face him.

"My friend," he beamed, straightening his bow tie. "How can I help you?"

"By taking up arms, Doctor," sighed Aragorn, knowing exactly what the Time Lords reply would be. Sure enough the Doctor's face fell.

"I can't do that," he replied, serious all of a sudden. Aragorn lost it.

"I get that you won't defend my people Doctor, but you won't even protect you self?" he asked incredulously. "Your life is threatened and you sit in here, thinking it's all going to go away? What are you so afraid of?"

"Myself," replied the Doctor, deadly quiet. "I was once better at killing than the Master. I would manipulate people into taking their own lives. It infects you after a while and if I start again then I'm petrified I won't be able to stop. There are people in this universe and others that view killing in certain situations as morally acceptable. For me that's not an option. I will die before I take another life." Silence fell as he finished. A tingling sense filled the air, something Aragorn had only felt once before in his life. It was pity, for a man greater than himself. All of a sudden another feeling hit him like a train and he flung himself forward, tackling him like a rugby player. Almost a fraction of a second later, the wall exploded as a chunk of rock smashed through the wall, slamming into the floor exactly where the Doctor had been standing a moment earlier. They landed in a heap on the bed, stunned. Clearly the war had begun.


End file.
